Conceptualizing the Policy Tools of Spatial Planning

While many policy tools can be used to develop spatial plans and implement their goals, there have been very few academic attempts to classify and illustrate the whole range of tools available. This article reviews the different ways in which planning tools have been conceptualized to date and highlights a wide variation in their...

Soft planning in macro-regions and megaregions: creating toothless spatial imaginaries or new forces for change?

Both planning practice and research increasingly acknowledge the existence of new scales and governance arrangements alongside and between statutory planning systems. Examples of new scales of non-statutory planning are large-scale megaregions and macro-regions. Drawing on examples from North America and Europe (Southern California and the...

Adaptive capacity of the Pearl River Delta cities in the face of the growing flood risk: Institutions, ideas and interests

Although the cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in China are amongst the world’s cities most exposed to flooding due to climate change, surprisingly little is done to address this problem. This article explores the barriers to the emergence of policies adapting to the growing flood risk in two PRD cities, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, underlining...

Policy design for sustainable urban transport in the global south

Many urban areas, both in the Global North and South, are becoming increasingly automobile-dominated and less sustainable. The need to take action is well recognized but all too often governance arrangements and the symbolism attached to automobility stand in the way. Drawing on international experience, this article summarizes some of the...

The case of Mobility as a Service: A critical reflection on challenges for urban transport and mobility governance

This chapter provides a reflective critique of Mobility as a Service (MaaS), an emerging development seeking a role within the Smart Mobility paradigm. We assess a range of its future implications for urban policymakers in terms of governance and sustainability (i.e., social and environmental impacts). We begin by describing the origins of the...